A Beautiful Place

23 May, 2025. I've just stepped out onto the balcony, and there are kites, which always come out when there's a bit of wind. They're basically made out of bin bags, but it's a really lovely sight, especially on a day when I've been operating on loads of small children, just to know that there are some children left here who are flying kites... Since 7 October 2023, both local and international doctors have risked their lives to deliver medical aid to Gaza's population. Dr Victoria Rose, a senior plastic surgeon at Guy's & St Thomas', is one of them, completing three tours over the last two years. Keeping diaries as she works in an increasingly devastated city, she reveals the pressures and demands of saving lives in a war zone, and the human stories at the heart of a humanitarian disaster. Amidst media blackouts, A Beautiful Place shares a rare front-line view of the emotional impact on local healthcare teams, as well as the devastation experienced by her patients - and the hope that, despite it all, still remains. Unflinching, gripping and beautifully written, it is a story that cannot be ignored.

Miss Rose is a British-trained fully accredited Consultant Plastic Surgeon working at St Thomas' Hospital and King's College Hospital London. She is on the General Medical Council's specialist register for Plastic Surgery and is a member of The British Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. Since 2023 she has been on three tours of Gaza, performing emergency surgery and medical care out of Nasser hospital, the only hospital remaining in Gaza. A Beautiful Place is her first book.